Stocking



(No Model.)

P. WILGOMB.

STOGKING. No. 378,8-19.- Patented Feb. 28', 1888.

N, PETERS, Phuwumognpm. wmingxom n c wrTED STATES PATENT rrrcu,

lFRANK VVILCOMB, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

STO C K l N G SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,819, dated February 28, 1888.

Application filed August 4, i886. Serial No. 209,988. (No model.)

To @Z whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK WrLooMn, of San Francisco, in the county of San Francisco and State of California, have invented a new and useful-Improvement in Stockings; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

My invention is an improved stocking, the improvement residing particularly in the construction of the foot portion. Its object is the production of a knitted stocking with a foot portion so constructed as to conform to the foot of the wearer withoutstretching the stocking out of its natural shape, and to fit the in! step, heel, and toe perfectly without wrinkling, thus giving greater comfort to the wearer and durability Lo the fabric.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a stocking-foot completed according to my invention, and'Fig. 2 a View of the same before it is completed.

In making my improved stocking I first knit the leg portion in tubular form in any known manner. On this leg portion I then proceed to knit the foot portion, as I will now describe. I prefer to use a straight-knitting machine with one row ofV needles for footing, as it is more convenient for putting the stitches of a stocking-leg on the needles preparatory to knitting the heel or foot portions; but the work may be done on a circular machine adapted to knit back and forth and narrow and widen in the usual manner in making a seamless or bulge heel or toe. The stockingfoot may be made on any machine capable of knitting and narrowing by throwing needles out of action.

In footing the stockings according to my invention upon a straight-knitting machine I use one row of, say, sixty-six needles. I take a stocking-leg, A, knit with one hundred and eight stitches in the ankle, and, after making six needles inoperative on each end of therow of needles, I put ifty-four stitches on the near half of the stockingleg on the fifty-four needles in action, taking the stitches from the point l to the corresponding point on the opposite side of the leg, and knit twelve courses or rows of stitches before narrowing-Y-that is, to the point 2. At this point I begin to narrow for the heel by making needles inoperative at the end of each course until the fabric is sufficiently narrow. Then, taking up the stitches as usual in forming a seamless heel, I widen until all of the fifty-four needles areinto action again and knit one or two rows to allow for raveling, if desired. This completes the heel B, which may be made of heavier or dit ferent yarn from the foot portion. I nowplaoe the remaining tifty-four stitches of the front half of the stocking-leg onto the iifty-four needies in the usual manner and knit the upper foot portion, C, narrowing from 4 to 5 and widening from 5 to 6, to form the toe, allin the well-known manner, and knit the bottom portion, D, of the foot straight until the point 7 is reached in the fabric. Here I begin to widen for the gusset E. This widened portion is made by introducing the twelve inoperative needles of the sixty-six, (six on each end ofthe i row,) one at a time, as often as may be desired to get the required shape. rlhe thread is caught by the needles and new stitches are formed, making the fabric at this point wider by twelve stitches. I now knit one or two rows to allow for raveling and take the fabric oft` the needles. The portions are now ready to be seamed together to make the complete stocking. 4

It will be seen that the upper part of the heel portion l has selvages on each side, extending down from point l to the point 2, where the narrowing began, and the lower portion of the heel has loops or stitches between the points 2 and 3, where the knitting was discontinued. The end of the lower f oot portion next to the heel, together with the end of the gusset, is also composed of similar loops. I now join by hand the loops of the gusset to the sclvage edges of the heel between the points 2 and l and the remaining stitches of the foot portion to the loops of the lower part of the heel, the unitingseam being hardly perceptible. The two sides of the stocking-foot are now seamed in the usual way, and the stocking-foot is completed. By this plan I am enabled to get a seamless heel of the desired length without a corresponding increased width. Again, by commencing the heel at the point where I begin to knit upon the stockingleg, I avoid a seam at the line where the: heel and leg are usuallyjoined, which in the case of a ribbed stocking-leg is very objectionable, as the seam is prominently shown and is liable to break away when drawing the stocking onto the foot.

A senin under the instep is not liable to wear out or to cause annoyance to the wearer. Besides, when made as herein indicated it is cheaper to seam, as it is siniplyjoining loop to loop.

I claim as my invention- 1. Astocking formed with a seamless bulge heel and a seamless toe and lower foot portion, the said foot portion having` a widened gusset, the junction of the lowerfoot portion with the heel being made by unitingloops on thefornier with loops and sclvages on the latter, substantially as described.

2. A stocking formed with a seamless heel and a seamless toe and lower foot portion, with seams along the side and under the instep between the heel and lower foot portions, and a, widened gusset seemed to the selvages of the heel above the narrowed portion,` substantially as described.

In testimony whereof l have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing,` witnesses.

FRANK VILCOMB.

Witnesses:

Crus. L. STURTEVANT, FRANK L. MIDDLEToN. 

